Disclaimer: I don't own FFVIII (duh!)
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Quistis stood out on the balcony, watching the waves lap against the Garden. Inside the ballroom, the SeeD ball was in full swing. She felt a presence on the balcony behind her and didn't bother to turn around. She already knew who it was.
"What are you doing out here?" Seifer asked as he walked up next to her.
"I was just looking at the moon and the water," Quistis answered with a smile, "why, did you miss me?"
"You know it" Seifer grinned and pulled her into his arms. He kissed her and then let her go as she pushed him away.
"Not in front of the others," Quistis scolded and motioned to the people in the ballroom, "if they see their Instructor playing kissy face, it will undermine my authority."
"Ah, but everyone in there is a SeeD," Seifer pointed out, "you won't teach them anymore."
"Touché," Quistis laughed and kissed him. "Come on, let's go back inside." She started towards the ballroom.
"Wait!"
Quistis turned back, her pale orange gown fanning out around her as she did so. Seifer hadn't moved and he looked nervous. Quistis' brow furrowed with confusion.
"Seifer?" She walked back over to him, "What's wrong?"
"I…I need to…ask you something," Seifer told her and refused to meet her eyes.
"What is it?" Quistis was becoming worried by his actions.
"Quistis, I…" he paused as he tried to find the words, "You know that I love you, right?"
"Of course," Quistis smiled.
"Well, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and…"
As he trailed off, she noticed he was playing with something in his pocket. She looked up at him and their eyes locked.
"Hyne, Quistis," he breathed, "I love you so much and I know I don't deserve you but I want you to be by my side forever and…well, I'm just gonna say it." He took a deep breath, "Quistis Angelica Trepe, will you marry me?"
Quistis' mouth dropped open as she started at the man in front of her. She watched as his eyes changed from nervous, to scared, to sad and then to relieved in the space of a few seconds. She smiled and tears began to fall down her cheeks.
"Yes," she whispered.
A smile illuminated his own features and he hugged her tightly. He swung her around a few times before putting her back on her feet and kissing her deeply. He pulled a velvet box out of his pocket and opened it. Inside was a sparkling diamond set into a golden ring. Seifer carefully took the ring out of the box and slipped it onto her slender finger. It was a perfect fit.
"I love you, Quisty," he whispered against her lips.
She looked up at him, tears shining in her eyes. "I love you too, Seifer."
"Come on," Seifer suggested, "let's get back inside before we freeze to death." He wiped the tears off of her face and led her back into the ballroom. The orchestra began playing a slow number and Seifer smiled.
"Care to dance, Miss Trepe?"
"I'd love to, Mr. Almasy."
He pulled her against him and they began to spin around the room, oblivious to the other couples around them. As they danced, her mind wandered back to when it had all started.
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FLASHBACK: 2 Years Ago
Quistis Trepe, Balamb Garden's youngest, and in most people's opinions, best Instructor walked into the elevator and pushed the button for the third floor office. She had been summoned by the Headmaster ten minutes before, for what reason, she didn't know. She hoped it wasn't bad news for her.
The elevator doors opened and Quistis smoothed out her SeeD uniform skirt before exiting. Once she was certain she looked presentable, she left the elevator car and walked into Cid's office. She spotted him immediately, sitting behind his desk and shuffling through some papers. His wife, Edea, was perched on the corner of the desk, watching her husband go over the papers. She looked up as she heard Quistis' footsteps.
"Quisty!" Matron greeted warmly and jumped gracefully off the desk. She walked over to Quistis and hugged her, as was her customary greeting for all of her "children."
"I'm glad you're here Quistis," Cid acknowledged after stacking the papers and placing them aside. Quistis saluted briskly. "At ease. Have a seat." He motioned to a chair in front of his desk. "As soon as Squall gets here, we'll start."
Quistis nodded and took the seat that was offered to her. Matron sat in the seat next to her and the two began to chat idly about happenings around the Garden. A minute later, the elevator returned and the doors opened to reveal a bored looking Squall Leonhart. Quistis immediately stood and saluted the commander, who waved her off with a mumbled "at ease." Quistis sat back down and Squall saluted the Headmaster. After a brief welcome from Matron, Squall took the seat next to Quistis where Matron had been a moment ago and the meeting began.
"As you know," Cid began, "many soldiers who supported the sorceresses during the War have come to us in hopes that their military training would be put to good use."
Quistis tensed and she noticed that Squall didn't look as relaxed as he had when he first entered. Quistis had a bad feeling about where this little meeting was going to end up.
Cid continued. "And as you know, we have accepted most of the them and forgiven them for their transgressions. Another has to us, asking to be readmitted into the Garden."
"Readmitted?" Squall interrupted, "Who is it, Headmaster?"
A feeling of impending doom hit Quistis like a ton of bricks and she had the sinking feeling she knew the answer to Squall's question and to the question of why she was here in the first place.
"Just a moment Squall and your questions will be answered," Matron told him.
"Right." Cid cleared his throat nervously, obviously aware of the tension in the room. "First of all, Squall, you know why you are here. You must approve all new applicants to Garden, as well as those who wish to reapply. As for Quistis," he smiled at her, "I was hoping she would accept the duty of teaching this cadet and help him pass the SeeD exam this time around."
Squall's eyes went wide as he realized who it was that Cid was talking about. "No…"
"Quistis, Matron would also like you to break it to the others. Edea loves all her children…" A small cough and dark look from Edea had Cid rethinking his words. "We love our children," he glanced at his wife and after seeing a smile, continued, "and we would like you to let them know that he's back and try to make them understand that he is one of you."
"Yes, sir," Quistis agreed.
"You've got to be joking," Squall stated, oblivious to the conversation.
"And you agree to teach him until he becomes a SeeD?" Cid questioned.
"Yes," Quistis nodded, "Or until one of us dies." With the way he's going, the latter will probably happen first, she thought.
"Headmaster, Matron, this is a joke, right?" Squall looked back and forth between husband and wife, his eyes pleading. They both ignored him.
"Excellent," Cid said to Quistis. He turned to Edea. "You may bring him in."
Edea smiled and hurried to a door that led off the Headmaster's office. She opened it and admitted the tall, cocky blonde whom they all regarded as an enemy, even though it had been six months since the end of the Sorceress War. His Hyperion was strapped to his side and was partially hidden by his gray trench coat. Oh Hyne, Quistis thought with a sigh and rolled her eyes skyward, why me?
"I present to you," Cid announced cheerfully, "the newest member of Balamb Garden, Seifer Almasy."
"Nooooooooooooo!"
END FLASHBACK
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That had all happened two years ago. At first, Quistis and Seifer had fought like cats and dogs, but after he had passed the SeeD exam, they had begun to respect one another. From there, their relationship grew until they were one of the most talked about couples in Garden. They had come so far in such a short time and Quistis could hardly believe that he had just proposed to her. As they spun around the dance floor, blue eyes met green ones.
"What are you thinking about?" Seifer asked.
"I was just thinking about when you first came back," Quistis divulged.
"And how Squall fainted when he saw me," Seifer chuckled.
"You promised him you'd never mention that again!" Quistis scolded.
"Oh! I forgot." He looked around the room to make sure Squall wasn't in earshot. Seifer relaxed when he spotted him talking to Cid and Edea across the room.
A second later, they were stopped by Zell on the dance floor. He smiled. "Hey, mind if I cut in?"
"Where's Cammi?" Seifer asked, obviously annoyed by his intrusion.
"She and Rinny went to the bathroom," Zell informed, "What is it with chicks and going to the bathroom together?" Both blondes looked at the tattooed man with annoyance. "Right, well anyways, what do you say Quisty? Wanna dance with the cutest guy in Balamb?"
Quistis looked at the shorter man and smiled apologetically. "Sorry Zell, I only have eyes for Seifer tonight."
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Hovering no more than a mile from where Balamb Garden floated carelessly in the open ocean was a large airship. On the bridge, a redheaded man in his late teens lowered a set of binoculars and turned to the man piloting the ship.
"That's it," Kaiser Deling told the captain, "are we absolutely sure that the sorceress is on board?"
"Yes sir," another man answered, "it was reported that she was seen in the Garden just before departure. She is definitely there, sir."
"Excellent," Kaiser grinner, "the sorceress will pay for what she did to my father. Prepare to attack."
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Oooh, cliffhanger. What will happen in the next chapter? You'll just have to wait and see!
A/N: Cammi is the library girl with the pigtail.